Overview

On the small Pennsylvania college campus Liam O'Connor cuts a dashing, romantic figure. The Irish-born professor of folklore has good looks, a sweet charm, and a host of Old World superstitions - all of which dazzle beautiful graduate student Sara Morgan. Plunging headlong into a sudden love affair, Sara barely has time to notice the dark drama unfolding on the campus. Four murders have been committed, each more gruesomely horrifying than the one before it, each committed by someone, or something, with terrible ...

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Overview

On the small Pennsylvania college campus Liam O'Connor cuts a dashing, romantic figure. The Irish-born professor of folklore has good looks, a sweet charm, and a host of Old World superstitions - all of which dazzle beautiful graduate student Sara Morgan. Plunging headlong into a sudden love affair, Sara barely has time to notice the dark drama unfolding on the campus. Four murders have been committed, each more gruesomely horrifying than the one before it, each committed by someone, or something, with terrible fury and strength. Suddenly Sara is receiving crank phone calls, warning her to stay away from Liam ... fearing her ex-boyfriend Chip's next angry outburst ... wondering why Liam's unmarried sister, Margaret, is so suffocatingly close to them ... and trying to escape the lecherous stares of her boss, Milton Cohn, the dean of students and the owner of a murderous-looking knife collection. When Liam proposes marriage, Sara accepts, making love by the light of sixteen candles, one of Liam's superstitions. Somehow, that final step seals her fate. The police begin to close in on a killer, the death toll mounts, and Sara is caught in an ever-tightening web. At its center, behind the most innocent superstitions, waits the greatest terror of all...

A graduate student, Sara has just begun her studies at Moore College, when she meets Irish folklore professor Liam O'Connor. The attraction is mutual. Liam has only one flaw, he's very superstitious. When Liam proposes marriage, Sara is elated. Not even the brutal killer that's terrorizing campus can take away her joy. But to her horror, Sara is about to learn why Liam has a good reason to be superstitious. 2 cassettes.

What People Are Saying

James Patterson

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
- Publisher's Weekly

Stine has written 56 YA novels and one adult novel, all horror. Readers will recognize this as the adult novel because it's hardcover and several characters in it curse, enjoy X-rated sex and die gruesomely detailed deaths. Otherwise, this simple, sturdy story of occult mayhem on a bucolic college campus features the sort of crude yet functional casting, plotting and prose that have made Stine America's bestselling YA author: characters verge on caricature, for easy identification; stormy nights and cliff-hangers abound; and no-frills prose, arranged in short sentences and paragraphs for speed reading, tells the tale (``The fingers stab deep. Her eyeballs make a soft plop plop as they are pried out''). Even those with minimal attention spans will keep turning pages as grad student Sara Morgan meets and marries hunky prof Liam Morgan. So what if Liam has a murky past, lives with his sister and takes his field-Irish folklore-so seriously that he throws salt over his shoulder for good luck and cringes in terror when a black cat jumps on his lap? Does that mean he's involved in the brutal mutilation-murders that are plaguing Moore State? Stine shakes a finger at two other suspects but doesn't reveal the reason for the bloodletting until novel's end. And that's just as well since, like the rest of this story, the underlying premise is about as sophisticated, though as effective, as jumping out from a dark corner and yelling ``boo!'' Major ad/promo; film rights to Miramax (Brandon Tartikoff, producer); Time/Warner audio due in October; author tour. (Sept.)

Library Journal

Stine, whose spooky, best-selling tales are legend among children and YAs, has written his first adult novel, a story of love, college, folklore, and serial murder.

School Library Journal

YA-In his first adult book, Stine continues his page-turning incorporation of horror, the supernatural, and a naive heroine. Short sentences and a relatively simple plot will capture the attention of YAs in this tale of love (or is it self-centered delight in apparent adoration and sexual gratification?) before the horror takes over. Sara Morgan, fleeing an abusive relationship, returns to Moore State College for a masters in psychology. Swept off her feet by Liam O'Connor, a glamorous and brilliant visiting professor of folklore, she soon becomes his devoted wife. She views her husband's adherence to supersititon fondly at first, but gradually finds it wearing and extreme. Liam tells her his behavior keeps the demons at bay. In fact, their first argument involves supersitition, as does the shocking circumstance of their final estrangement. The book is a long way from ``Fear Street'' (Pocket), and sure to be as popular.-Barbara Hawkins, Oakton High School, Fairfax, VA

From Barnes & Noble

When Sara Morgan sought refuge from an obsessive boyfriend in a small town in upstate New York, she didn't count on falling in love with Liam O'Connor, an incurably superstitious professor. Sara was willing to overlook Liam's increasingly intrusive quirks until townspeople started turning up brutally murdered. Now Sara has come to a terrifying realization: Liam's demons of superstition have acquired a macabre taste for blood.

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Customer Reviews

Anonymous

Posted October 15, 2009

I love R.L. Stine, but I was a bit disappointed with the supernatural context. I grew up reading his books, so I wanted 2 see how he did in adult writing. His writing was great, as usual, but...

The book was a great read until the last 20 pages where he began 2 tie it all together. The story of the return student who falls in love with the ecentric, superstitious, not 2 mention attractive Irish professor was great. It kept you guessing as the killings began to happen and u don't know who 2 suspect. All arrows point 1 way, then another. Then you begin 2 find out about the professor's scetchy past and the truth about him. Once it all starts 2 come 2 light is where the disappointment begins 4 me.It did have me guessing until the end, just not the ending I would have liked... I guess. If u are in2 the supernatural, u will love this book. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

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10 years later and I finished it

So I bought this at a yard sale 10 years ago and started it, got a few chapters in and put it back on the bookshelf, then periodically I decided to pull it off and give it a fair try, and now, 10 years later i have finished it, all I can say is i am glad that i only paid $.50 for this, because it was a let down all the way through. The killer, obvious, the plot was somewhat interesting and the characters were an obvious attempt in trying to create complex characters, and makeing them more dull and unbelievable. When you spend thre to four pages repeating the same phrase in every paragraph 8-12 times persentence, it's time to pray that the Muses will smite you for a litterary disaster. When I finally finished it I was glad, because i would not have to read it again. The only reason I sped through the last 25 chapters was because it was 1 rediculously short chapters, and 2. thats when the whole stroy actually began to get good, to bad the character remained as dry and boring as they started out.<BR/>All in all the idea behind it was good, just a pitty that it was written in such a horrible manner.

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SF83

Posted November 12, 2008

R.L. Stine does it again!

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the storyline was great and I love R.L. Stine's writing style. I used to read Goosebumps and Fear Street when I was younger and was so happy that he wrote a book for adults. I hope he comes out with more adult books! I couldn't put this one down! Good read! :)

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Anonymous

Posted August 3, 2008

Outstanding

This book was awsome. A really good read R.L. Stine outdid himself! I hope he makes more adult books in the future.

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Anonymous

Posted October 24, 2007

A reviewer

The book called Superstitious a book by R.L. Stine is about a young man named Liam he is about 30 years old, he is a collage professor. When people start to come up dead on the campus everyone is terrified. It reminded me of all the people who die every year and how you can¿t trust anyone. I really enjoyed this book and hope you will too.

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Anonymous

Posted April 29, 2005

Big Long time Fan

This book was very good.The way he told everything.I swear I never would have guessed who was killing everybody and neither will you no matter how good of a detective you think you are.But there were some sexual parts you might want to skip over. Or maybe not,but I did. And the secerts some of those people have will blow you away and why they have those secerets are even more shocking.

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Anonymous

Posted July 12, 2004

One of the best books!!

I bought this book on a hunch from when i was younger reading Goosebumps. I was shocked to find this was a little more indepth than those books yet intrigued to find it was very interesting. I finished the book in 2 days and since then i have read it 7 times. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror, suspense and a twist of love.

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Anonymous

Posted February 17, 2004

very boring!

The first chapter starts off very promising, but I just couldn't get interested. I forced myself to read 11 chapters, and then finally put it down and started on something better. Reading should be fun!!

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Anonymous

Posted October 23, 2003

Disappointing sums it up

First of all, i need to say that if this is the first Adult fiction book by R.L. Stine, then he needs to stick to Goosebumps. Stine needs to realize that you can't write a perverted story filled with disgusting, (yet pretty awsome) deaths and overly detailed sex, put a cheesy cover on it and then have the guts to say it's an 'adult fiction' it got two stars cause the deaths were kinda cool

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Anonymous

Posted June 3, 2001

FOR THRILL SEAKERS

THIS BOOK WAS ONE OF HIS BEST BOOKS, BECAUSE IT HAD THRILL, BUT, IT ALSO HAD PASSION AND IT WAS VERY MUCH IN DETAIL FOR DEFINITE THRILL SEAKERS. IF YOU'VE READ HIS YOUNGER VERSION OF BOOKS THIS A GOOD BOOK TO BREAK FROM YOUNG ADULT TO ADULT.

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Anonymous

Posted May 9, 2001

HE DID IT AGAIN!!!!!

I have loved R.L Stine since I was a teenager. When I read this book I could not beleive how captivating it was. I could not put it down!!! This is one of the best books I've read in a long time!!

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Anonymous

Posted April 7, 2001

Good plot, bad ending

This book gives you suspense, overall the plot is great, but the ending was somewhat horrible. The solution was poorly satisfying. I guess R. L. Stine didn't really know how to end it. After I finished the book, I felt I've been ripped off my time reading 400 pages. The main plot is good however.

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Anonymous

Posted September 11, 2000

I love R. L. Stine's work

R.L. Stine is the best horror story writer. Superstitious is one of R.L. Stine best works. I have read practically every series that he has. I hope that he comes out with more books like this. The way it was vividly explain to the reader is what I most enjoyed about it. I deeply recommened it to all readers.

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Anonymous

Posted June 21, 2000

His best book yet!!!!

I have read all of stine's fear streat series.. When i read this book I was very impressed.. it is the best book he has ever wrote.. and I am hoping to see more adult books from him..

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Anonymous

Posted February 19, 2000

Best book I've ever read

This book is go to be the best book I've ever read. It kept me in total suspence. I could never put the book down, I said 'Just one more chapter' but it ended up with about 10 chapters. I recommend this book for all readers!!!

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